How many 28 Days Later movies are there?
At the moment, there are three 28 Days Later movies, including the newest one, 28 Years Later, which arrived on June 20, 2025 (you might say it’s “extremely f**king nigh,” to quote the first film).
If you’re behind on the series or if you just want a refresher before catching 28 Years in theaters, I’ve prepared this how-to-watch guide with all the information you need to watch the 28 Days Later movies in order on streaming services and rent or buy them at video-on-demand (VOD)outlets.
What are the 28 Days Later movies?
In 2002, 28 Days Later—directed by Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, The Beach), written by Alex Garland (author of The Beach, director of Ex Machina), and starring Cillian Murphy (Peaky Blinders)—made “zombies” scary again.
What’s with the quotes? Well, these weren’t shuffling, somnambulant, cannibalistic, “living dead” zombies. Instead, 28 Days Later’s zoms were red-eyed, gore-spewing, sprinting humans infected with the highly communicable Rage Virus. But the two uniquely freaky creatures share one common trait: A single-minded compulsion to kill.
Guess what? Some people think 28 Days Later was the first appearance of running zombies. Depending on whom you ask, it’s actually Umberto Lenzi’s tame n’ trashy Nightmare City (1980) or Dan O’Bannon’s punk-rock partytime zom-com, The Return of the Living Dead (1985).
After 28 Days Later came 2007’s 28 Weeks Later, directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and starring Robert Carlyle (Ravenous). While well-received, a dispute over film rights prevented a third sequel (28 Months Later) from materializing—until now, with 28 Years Later (retitled to acknowledge the long break between films). As with the first film, Boyle directed it and Garland wrote the screenplay.
Already one of 2025’s best-reviewed films, 28 Years Later has two sequels lined up. 28 Years Later II: The Bone Temple—filmed immediately after 28 Years Later and directed by Nia DaCosta (2021’s Candyman remake)—has a release date set for January 16, 2026. An untitled—and unguaranteed—fifth film is currently in development. Supposedly, all three films feature Cillian Murphy in some way.
How to watch the 28 Days Later movies in chronological order
The 28 Days Later timeline is linear—so no prequels or reboots/remakes. You can watch the films in release order.
Use the JustWatch.com links in each entry below to see where to stream, rent, or buy the 28 Days Later movies via on-demand streaming TV services or video-on-demand (VOD) retailers like Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV. You can buy 28 Years Later tickets online via Fandango.
List of 28 Days Later movies in order
- 28 Days Later (2002)
- 28 Weeks Later (2007)
- 28 Years Later (2025)
- 28 Years Later II: The Bone Temple (Jan. 16, 2026)
- Untitled fifth film (TBA)
Pro tip: If you watch all of the 28 Days Later movies in a row, it’ll take 5 hours and 17 minutes.
Where to watch 28 Days Later (2002)
I remember seeing 28 Days Later on opening weekend, feeling hopeless and terrified for much of it (I’d be first to die, I know it) and ugly crying at that one part. It was such a satisfying cinematic experience. I wanted to watch it again. Fortunately, I acquired the DVD years later, before the rights dispute forced it out of print—and off of streaming services. The sky-high physical-copy prices are beginning to come down now that 28 Days Later is available to rent in HD—and there’s a 4K steelbook coming.
Where to watch 28 Weeks Later (2007)
Ask for opinions on this one, and you’ll hear it’s either amazing or disappointing. Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo and written by him and three others, 28 Weeks Later is a standalone sequel with no returning characters that’s more action than bleak, emotional, intense horror. After a strong opening sequence, the film kinda fizzles. But I found it satisfying enough and think you probably won’t feel like you’ve wasted your time. That is, unless you desperately wanted a continuation of Jim’s (Cillian Murphy) story instead of what feels like a spinoff.
Where to watch 28 Years Later (2025)
After the disappointment of 28 Weeks Later, and the sequel-less 18 (IRL) years that followed, 28 Years Later needs to be a banger. At the time of writing, things look pretty good, with decent scores from Rotten Tomatoes (89% from critics, 64% from fans) and Metacritic (76/100 critics, 6.7/10 fans). I’ve yet to see it, so here’s the official synopsis, paraphrased: Nearly three decades since the original events of 28 Days Later, survivors are still living in quarantine and learning to exist among the infected. One group lives on an island connected to the mainland by a causeway—and one of them decides to check out the mainland, discovering a Rage Virus mutation that affects infected and survivors alike.
Pro tip: It’s just a hop, skip, and a jump shuffle, trip, and a lurch from zombie movies to cannibal movies! Check out The Best Cannibal Movies—With Meal-Pairing Suggestions!
How to rent or buy the 28 Days Later movies on demand
Do you prefer to rent movies on demand instead of subscribing to a streaming service? The JustWatch.com links above will tell you which video-on-demand (VOD) retailers have the 28 Days Later movies for rent or purchase.
How to watch the 28 Days Later movies in order FAQ
How many 28 Days Later movies are there?
Right now, there are three movies in the 28 Days Later franchise: 28 Days Later, 28 Weeks Later (2007), and 28 Years Later (2025). But 28 Years Later II: The Bone Temple is slated for release on Jan. 16, 2026, and Danny Boyle and Alex Garland plan a tentative untitled fifth film. Here’s a list for ya:
- 28 Days Later (2002)
- 28 Weeks Later (2007)
- 28 Years Later (2025)
- 28 Years Later II: The Bone Temple (2026)
- Untitled fifth film (TBA)
In what order should I watch the 28 Days Later movies?
You should watch the 28 Days Later movies in release order—which also happens to be chronological order since the series has a linear timeline.
Will there be a 28 Decades Later?
Do you mean 28 Days Later . . . in Space? ‘Cause that film would have to be set in the year 2282—and definitely wouldn’t include Cillian Murphy. And you know how film fans like to deride “in space” sequels. I’m here for it, though.
